JEFF F

Just spent a week in Big Bend doing field mapping for a structural geology class, so my needs were fairly broad. Hiking from 9-4 in 90 degree heat while having to carry various mapping supplies. In a nutshell, it provided on all counts. Initially, i was a bit worried to jump on the new version since the older one got such glowing reviews, but this version has a rain cover and it like 30 bucks cheaper, so i went for it. holds a THREE LITER camelback full to capacity with water. Still had room for a bulky digital SLR, bulky clipboard, field notebook, protractor, brunton, ruler, GPS, rain gear, food, and had room to spare. Just perfect, even the elephant skin limestone (notorious for just tearing everything apart) was no match for the stratos at the weeks end.

I'm trying to switch over to just merino for extended hiking trips, so when these pop up on steepandcheap i grab them. I have both the long sleeve and the short sleeve versions and they are BY FAR the best shirts for hiking. I forgot my short-sleeves on a recent trip to big bend this past week and did remember to bring my black long-sleeve (incase it got cold at night). I was worried it would be to hot for hiking there because of it's color and sleeve length, but i took the chance and it truly brought my understanding of merinos magic to a whole new level.

Fit wise, I like versatility, so i go for more of a normal T-Shirt fit. So, I go XXL at 6'2 230 linebacker build and it's perfect.

Tried this on today, and here was the sequence.... t-shirt>>apache AR (light fleece)>>>Venta AR. Im 6'2 230 linebacker build (huge shoulders that make sizing a painnnnn). Just wanted to say that it was prettyyyyy snug, but if it were for strictly outdoors i would actually say the fit was probably appropriate. The collar is high and nice but over the fleece it was pretty tough to get it to zip all the way up, probably because of the fleece, and put a decent amount of pressure on my throat. I would go ahead and bump up if you are planning on layering, if you were just t-shirting it id go true to size. The jacket itself felt great, cuffs worked well with layers, material moved well for being taped and having a membrane.

Period. Light, sturdy, comfortable nose piece. fits beautifully under my beanie.

I thought id give a quick "initial quality" test since im not going to be putting this thing through what its meant for until early january. Im 6'2 230 and the XL feels like its tailored on me. It is ridiculous how comfortable this shell is coupled with the fact that its waterproof/windproof. Versatility is why i bought this thing. 60-70's with a t-shirt and felt perfect. Layer up from there. Don't want to make any lofty claims yet, so i'll due a post honey-moon review.

I read the reviews and wanted it to feel/look more like a shirt so i bumped up to an XXL at 6'2 230 and honestly i absolutely love the fit of the shirt. The arms are only just a tad long, even at a bumped size, but comfort/feel is not affected at all by this and they fully stay up on my wrist. But, to me, this makes using the thumb holes even more relaxed and comfortable. At the S&C price this shirt is the best 30 bucks you can spend. Even at $60 its cheaper and imo softer/more durable than any of the other merino shirts. Oh yea, and its made in canada.